site.btaAnother Hotspot of African Swine Fever Detected

Sofia, January 3 (BTA) - The Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA)
 has detected yet another hotspot of African swine fever in the
country. It is an industrial farm in Nikola Kozlevo, Shoumen
Region (Northeastern Bulgaria). The test result was confirmed by
 the national reference laboratory at Sofia's National
Veterinary Medicine Institute late on Friday afternoon, the BFSA
 reported.

A total of 24,000 pigs are raised at the farm. The authorities
took measures to control and eliminate the infection in keeping
with EU and Bulgarian law and the Emergency Action Plan for
African Swine Fever Control.

A 3 km safety zone and a 10 km monitoring zone, the latter of
which includes several settlements, were designated around the
affected farm. All pigs in the farm will be culled, and all
infected pigs will be neutralized in accordance with regulatory
requirements.

The farm management said there are no plans to lay off any of
the 70 workers employed there. NV/VE